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Thread: The good guys thread

  1. #676
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    That's wonderful!!!
    I meant," said Ipslore bitterly, "what is there in this world that truly makes living worthwhile?"
    Death thought about it.
    CATS, he said eventually. CATS ARE NICE.

    -- Terry Pratchett (1948—2015), Sourcery

  2. #677
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    10 News helps Bill Adams find his 'mystery Angel' on Facebook

    Clearwater, Florida - A Clearwater man says he's alive, thanks to a complete stranger.

    Last June, Bill Adams was up on a ladder cleaning out his gutters when all of a sudden:

    "I fell backwards and hit my head."

    Bill's heart had stopped beating.

    "I had what is called 'sudden death syndrome," he explains.

    Bill awoke hours later in a hospital bed, not knowing what exactly happened. His wife had seen the fall, but froze up. Then a stranger appeared, who started to perform CPR until paramedics arrived. As soon as they did, the Good Samaritan left.

    She gave my wife a hug and said, 'Everything will be all right,' and that's all we saw of her," says Bill.

    For six months, Bill searched for this woman, but no luck. So on Wednesday, we took part in the search and thanks to social media, an Angel really was looking over Bill.

    Her name is Angelique Tyson, but goes by the name Angel for short. Angel happens to be a 10 News viewer and saw that we were searching for her on Facebook.

    Bill and Angel spoke over the phone for the first time on Wednesday afternoon.

    "I'm so thankful that you were there," Bill told Angel.

    Bill says it's a miracle that we found her, but the real miracle is that Angel found Bill.
    Ask your vet about microchipping. ~ It could have saved Kuhio's life.

  3. #678
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    Good Samaritans, Airmen Save Family From Burning SUV In NH

    SHERBORN (CBS) – David Sullivan, a Sherborn father, humbly thanked the man who saved his family’s life. “It’s only by the grace of God you guys were there it’s totally a miracle. I just want to thank you and whoever else was with you on that afternoon,” Sullivan said speaking with Chris Cronen on the phone. “It was a big teamwork effort,” Chris responds.

    Chris says he was on his way home from a ski trip when he came upon a horrifying scene. A car tipped over on a New Hampshire highway. Chris says trapped inside was David Sullivan with his three kids along with three of their friends.

    Chris who is a certified tactical medic for the federal government says he immediately jumped out of his car to help. When he looked inside he saw two boys stuck inside. “Crying and screaming it was pretty tough. I immediately yelled for help and here comes three Air Force guys running toward the scene,” Cronen said.

    With the help of the Air Force men and two other good Samaritans they were able to get everyone out safely. “It’s just a miracle he came to after he pulled him out of the vehicle,” Cronen said.

    David is recovering at home. “I got a concussion and shattered vertebrae, neck brace. Tell you what the kids are fine,” Sullivan said.

    The accident remains under investigation, David says he wants to thank everyone in person who was involved in the rescue. “I am glad I was there able to help and even more glad that the civilians and Air Force guys were there to assist to help get boys out and you out,” Cronen said.
    Ask your vet about microchipping. ~ It could have saved Kuhio's life.

  4. #679
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    Man Wearing Superman Hoodie Rescues Baby from Burning Building

    Move over, Man of Steel. There's a new superhero on the loose – and he's even a fan of your wardrobe.

    Dallas resident Tori Phillips caught a baby dropped from a burning Dallas apartment complex Monday while coincidentally wearing a Superman hoodie, reports NBC 5 in Dallas/Fort Worth.

    Phillips, who lost his own apartment in the four-alarm blaze, assisted a family trapped inside an upper floor frantically trying to escape with their baby.

    "I [saw] this family on a patio trying to jump down and they had the baby, they did not want the baby to let go, and I came in and said, 'I'm right here, I can catch the baby.' And I was there for the right catch," he said, adding that another Good Samaritan helped the parents to safety.

    When asked how it felt to return the baby to its parents on solid ground, Phillips replied with characteristic superhero modesty.

    "It felt real good," he said. "They made me very humbled and made me cherish my little ones."

    The experience also seemed to put Phillips's own apartment loss into perspective.

    "I know little ones are more important than material things," he added.

    Ask your vet about microchipping. ~ It could have saved Kuhio's life.

  5. #680
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    Thanks

    Just wanted to give a shout out to all Pet Talkers out there. With all the sad and horrible stuff that happens in the world and on the news it is SO nice to take a break and just check in and hear about peeps that simply love their pets and wanna share them with other folks. So, thanks people!!!! High fives!

  6. #681
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    Police officer stops to save life of distraught dog

    RICHMOND, Va. (WTVR) – She knew she had to stop. She knew she had to pay it forward.

    Richmond Police officer Karen Spencer-Boyles is a dog lover, so when she spotted two dogs in the middle of Jeff Davis Highway Tuesday morning, she simply could not drive off.

    One of the dogs was dead. It was hit by a car.

    The other dog was scared and whimpering, refusing to leave its friend’s side.

    A women who works nearby spotted Officer Spencer-Boyles and stopped to take a photo of what she called the officer’s act of kindness.

    “A Richmond city police woman stopped because a dog was hit and his friend was beside him barking,” Michelle C. said. “She stopped and got him out of the road and soothed him.”

    Carrington said the officer’s actions likely saved the dog’s life.

    “For her to stop and take a moment of her time to show just a little compassion to an animal that obviously just lost his best friend goes to show us – there are some people out there that really do care,” Michelle said.

    Officer Spencer-Boyles said she too could tell the dog was scared and she also feared it would get hit by a car if she did not act fast.

    “You could just tell he was scared,” Spencer-Boyles said. “He just looked helpless. It’s kind of like if you had a friend and your friend had been hurt. He just stood by his friend.”

    Thirteen years ago, while in the police academy, Spencer-Boyles got an English Cocker Spaniel named Tex. In 2009 her dog ran out into the road and was hit by a car.

    A stranger saw what happened, stopped and helped to save the Spencer-Boyles’ pet.

    Today the Richmond Police Officer paid it forward.

    The surviving dog, who is being called Giusseppe, was collected by Richmond Animal Control and is at their office on Chamberlayne Ave. Animal Control believes Giusseppe has an owner because he is neutered and had a flea collar on.

    The Animal Shelter said if the owner does not come to get Giusseppe within 10 days, he will be put up for adoption. You can contact them at (804) 646-5573.

    Officer Spencer-Boyles urged pet owners to get their pets spayed or neutered.

    “We see so many animals that are just roaming the streets, don’t have any families and don’t have anybody to take care of them,” she said.

    Ask your vet about microchipping. ~ It could have saved Kuhio's life.

  7. #682
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    Ana Jimenez-Hami Brings the Arts to Low-Income Kids

    Growing up in Puerto Rico, Ana Jimenez-Hami's father, Freddy, never let her forget about the importance of helping those who weren't as fortunate as she.

    "He'd always say, 'You have to learn to give back to others in need,' " recalls Jimenez-Hami, 52, who now lives in Irvine, Calif.

    Two decades ago, when her father, mother and 13 others were murdered by gunmen during a robbery at Freddy's jewelry store, Jimenez-Hami's life was turned upside down.

    Searching for some way to make sense of her devastating loss, she thought back to her father's words and they inspired her to create the Orange County Children's Therapeutic Arts Center, which uses the arts – be it painting, music or dance – to transform the lives of low-income children in crime-ravaged Santa Ana, Calif.

    "When he died, his words about 'giving back to others' were the very first thing that came to my mind," she says. And she put the words into action: The organization she founded in 2000 has touched the lives of more than 15,000 children – often at no charge to their parents.

    Martha Rivera was one of those struggling who found her way to Jimenez-Hami's center.

    Rivera, who came from a troubled, impoverished family, wanted to learn to play piano, but staff members quickly discovered she was a natural musician, capable of playing numerous instruments.

    "I want to cry when I tell her story," recalls Jimenez-Hami. "She was on the verge of becoming just another statistic – either ending up in a gang or getting pregnant."

    With the help of music instructors – and academic tutors – Rivera, now 23, went from a D student to graduating as valedictorian of her high school. Recently, she earned a master's degree in psychology from Harvard.

    "Dr. Ana's dedication to her community is second to none," says Rivera, who now manages the center's after-school arts programs.

    "I am where I am today because of her guidance," she says. "She instilled in me the belief that education is the most important thing in my life."

    Besides focusing on the arts, the center – with its 45 part-time instructors and five full-time administrators – has branched out into other programs that include job training and family wellness classes for stressed-out parents of disabled children, many of whom are students at the center.

    "Studies have shown that they have a much higher rate of falling into depression," says Jimenez-Hami, who has a doctorate in educational psychology.

    The arts, she insists, is much more than just teaching kids how to paint pretty pictures and strum the guitar.

    "Unfortunately, we live in a society that doesn't value arts as much as sports," she says. "But the arts are food for the soul. They help make creative minds, and that's exactly what we need – creative minds – to make a better society."

    Freddy would be proud.

    Ask your vet about microchipping. ~ It could have saved Kuhio's life.

  8. #683
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    Bruno the Police Dog Recovering After Being Shot In the Face

    A police dog named Bruno is recovering after being shot during a parole check in Anaheim, Calif.

    The 7-year-old German Shepherd had emergency surgery to remove a bullet from his lung and repair his jaw after a man began shooting at police officers on March 20. Bruno was injured after guiding officers to where Robert Moreno Jr., a known gang member, was hiding.

    "The dog alerted that the suspect was hiding behind a trash can. As they went up, the suspect stood up and started shooting at the direction of the officers and purposely aimed at the dog, shooting the dog," Anaheim Police Lt. Tim Schmidt told CBS Los Angeles.

    Bruno was shot in the jaw and the bullet exited his mouth and lodged in his chest, less than an inch from his heart.

    "[He was shot] point blank, it was a horrific thing to have to watch. My entire world came tumbling down in the matter of a second," Bruno's partner, officer RJ Young, told ABC News. Bleeding profusely, the 6-year K9 veteran barely whimpered and returned to his partner's side. "He never made a sound."

    A police escort cleared roads to rush the injured dog to an animal hospital where surgeons worked for three hours to remove part of his damaged lung and repaired his shattered jaw.

    "He's doing extremely well for all he's been through," veterinarian Dr. Steve Dunbar told CBS. Bruno, who's expected to recover, will have to wear a cast around his jaw for the next two months and was on a feeding tube, but on Sunday he ate unassisted for the first time and also went on a short walk.

    Officers have praised Bruno for saving their lives after he sniffed out the 21-year-old suspect, who was killed at the scene. "If Bruno weren't there, there's not a doubt in my mind that someone would have gotten hurt," Young said.

    Bruno underwent a second surgery on his jaw and lung Friday at Yorba Regional Animal Hospital, during which surgeons removed his breathing tube and reattached the bottom portion of his tongue.

    "The surgery went really well. Removing the tube from the lung was a big step forward," said Young, who's called the bond between him and Bruno "unexplainable." "I know we have more surgeries ahead of us to reconstruct the jaw, but today was a good day for us. I just want him to heal so I can bring home."

    The Friends of the Anaheim Police K-9 Association is collecting donations to cover Bruno's medical care through their Facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/AnaheimK9friends

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  9. #684
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    Mom is the "good guy" here.

    “Ugly.” That is one word that an Internet troll used to describe a picture of a blogger’s special little boy. It’s also what caused an inspirational backlash that was absolutely perfect. This was the mother’s reply to the comment of “Ugly” that some stranger left on a photo of her baby boy with Down Syndrome:
    Dear @JusesCrustHD,
    Since I started blogging about my son Quinn and his disability, I knew this day would come. There’s no shortage of trolls on the Internet who hide behind the anonymity of a screen name with the intent to be cruel, and I’ve seen their hostility many times before. In fact, in the wake of a recent robbery at the Down Syndrome Association of Houston’s headquarters, in which $10,000 worth of technology was stolen, there was no shortage of ignorant comments on the news story reporting the incident. One user asked, “how will they learn to count to potato?” Another claimed that wasting computers on “retards” was stupid anyway and that the organization deserved to be robbed. These comments, while offensive, simply serve to showcase people’s hate-fueled ignorance and aren’t worth my time. I grimace when I read them, but realize there’s little to be done about such stupidity. But last Saturday, you targeted my son personally and instead of being angry, I’d like to give you some advice: Don’t be a d*ck. It will come back to haunt you.
    I don’t want to make assumptions about you, but I can only guess that you know little about the helplessness that parents feel when caring for a sick infant with respiratory issues. Quinn was sick last week, but was feeling much better by Friday. We decided to sit in the backyard and soak up the sun after school. There aren’t many things in this world more beautiful than seeing your recently-ill child light up in a smile, and I snapped a few photos to celebrate his recovery, then posted them on Instagram with the hashtag “#downsyndrome.” I love to look through those photos myself in my spare time, because damn if those kiddos aren’t adorable. Of course, you feel differently because you, JusesCrustHD, found this photo and left a comment with one simple word:
    Ugly.
    “The fact that you find my child ugly is one thing. You are entitled to your opinion.”

    maemennes


    “But the fact that you intentionally search #downsyndrome to find pictures to insult (sadly, Quinn is not the only victim of your behavior; I came across many other inflammatory responses) is both childish and sad.”

    maemennes


    “Your profile is also full of offensive posts and crude statements.”

    maemennes


    “In one such photo, featuring two kids with Down syndrome and the word “wiitard,” you get bent out of shape because many, MANY people called you on your prejudice.”

    maemennes




    You claim it was a joke and that people should lighten up. But what about purposefully seeking out pictures of our children? What about the fact that a beautiful photograph of my son was tarnished by your hatred? That’s not a joke. That’s cyberbullying. Needless to say, I reported your profile.
    This will not be the last time someone discounts my son because he is different. It will not be the last time someone makes a joke at his expense, but to actively seek out actual people to tease goes beyond cruel. It’s inhuman.
    I recognize that you want to see me get worked up about your little “joke.” I’ll be honest; it’s hard not to be angry about it, but I can’t allow myself to carry that weight on my shoulders. I can’t allow myself to feel anything but sorry for an individual with so little tact. Because in end, you will be the one to face the consequences of your choices someday. There are few people in this world who tolerate that kind of backwards thinking, and you’ll eventually mouth off to the wrong person. My guess is that you already have, which is why you hide behind a screen name.
    God knows there were plenty of cruel adolescent boys in my time: boys who took pleasure in pranks and jokes at others’ expense. There were even a few of them that were directed at me, but it gave me tough skin and I grew from the experience of facing such mistreatment. Maybe that’s why I’m willing to let this one go; I know where most of those boys ended up, and it’s nowhere I’d want to be. And as a teacher, I’ve seen kids like you crash and burn. Go outside. Read a book. Compliment someone. Most importantly, enlighten yourself; there’s already enough cruelty in this world, and anyone worth their salt should be striving to make this place better, not worse.
    I simply hope my own children learn to look past ignorant comments and actions and treat others with respect and dignity. We all deserve it, even you.
    Sincerely,
    A Proud Mama

    Read more at http://www.viralnova.com/troll-calls...yR8mB0cdeW4.99
    "Do or do not. There is no try." -- Yoda

  10. #685
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    Good for you, Mom!!! A perfect response! Your little Quinn is absolutely adorable and I'm sure he's as sweet as he looks. I wish him only the best things life has to offer, he deserves nothing less.
    I was a child support & paternity specialist for 31 years and at one time covered consent conferences in Family Court to establish paternity. One hearing involved the legal establishment of paternity for a beautiful baby girl with Downs Syndrome. When asked, the guy denied the baby was his; when asked why he thought he wasn't the father this creep glared at the sleeping baby and said with a tinge of disgust, "I couldn't make something like that." The hearing officer & I sent the case straight to the judge. And Judge Callahan was not at all kind to him - the Judge literally went up one side of him and down the other. Don't know if this guy actually had an attitude adjustment when the Judge was done with him.
    FIND A PURPOSE IN LIFE.....BE A BAD EXAMPLE

  11. #686
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    Man leaves $1,000 tip for dog's surgery

    Good people, not to mention good tippers, do exist. Christina Summitt knows that for sure now after what happened Saturday night.

    The paw-print tattoo on Summitt's wrist often leads to conversations with strangers about her love of animals; she's a volunteer with a pit bull rescue group and spends lots of time finding homes for animals of all kinds.

    While tending bar at the Holiday Inn in Clinton, New Jersey, Summitt got to chatting with a friendly couple before the night got busy. The man asked her if she had dogs of her own; she confided that her "baby," a Great Dane-black Labrador mix named Tucker, was at the veterinary hospital after having emergency surgery hours earlier after he swallowed a hard plastic ball. She was worried about him.

    The man said something about surgery being expensive. She confided the estimate was around $2,700, but she would do whatever she had to do for the dog, whom she adopted in 2011. Summitt, 37, works three jobs -- full-time as a chef at the hotel, Saturdays as a bartender, and as a food prep worker two days a week at a deli in her town. Her husband works full-time and Summitt has three stepchildren.

    The couple ordered drinks and dinner at the bar. When it was time to close out their $80 tab, the man filled out the receipt with a tip -- for $1,000.

    Summitt said she started shaking and crying. She showed the bill to her sister, who tends bar with her, to make sure she was seeing three zeros after the 1.

    "I went back over and said 'Sir, I cannot accept this, what is this for, why would you do this?'" she said. He told her to put it toward Tucker's medical costs.

    "I just stood there in shock. I walked around and hugged this couple. They said, 'We'll be praying for Tucker.'"

    Hotel manager Michelle Satanik told CNN she followed up with her comptroller and also tracked down the customer this week to verify that the gesture was legitimate. CNN has attempted to contact the generous tipper through Summitt, who kept his name anonymous for his privacy.

    "Apparently this man does this quite frequently. Just a really nice guy and humanitarian," Satanik said. "I have never ever seen a $1,000 tip like that."

    Summitt shared the story on Facebook and CNN iReport with a photo of the credit card slip and a picture of Tucker being held by her 16-year-old stepson before they left the dog at the hospital for surgery. A Facebook page she follows called "Why Bartenders and Servers Hate People" reposted the story on Easter Sunday with this caption: "This is a place for us to vent but every so often, especially on holidays, we have to be thankful for the amazing customers that are out there."

    Summitt says she's since gotten messages of support from all over the world.

    "I would also love nothing more than to publicly thank this couple in front of the world. I've never seen a random act give so many people so much hope," she wrote.

    Tucker is recovering at home.

    Ask your vet about microchipping. ~ It could have saved Kuhio's life.

  12. #687
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    Woman Returns Locket Containing Dead Sister’s Remains

    SACRAMENTO-

    A woman who lost her sister to the flu virus in January, lost a memento of her sibling recently, devastating her all over again.

    Bianca’s sister, Andrea Godina, was staying in South Korea when she got the flu, and died from the virus in January.

    Since then, Bianca has worn a silver locket, containing some of her sister’s remains.

    She lost the necklace in the parking lot of a Sacramento Jamba Juice.

    A stranger found it, realized it probably had significance to someone, and posted a picture of it on Facebook.

    The photo and plea was re-shared and spread on social media, even getting a mention on the FOX40 morning news.

    After the broadcast Wednesday, calls came pouring in about whom the necklace may belong to.

    Later that night, FOX40 was there as the necklace was returned to the sister.

    Bianca was moved to tears as she placed the locket back on.
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  13. #688
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    He is a perfect little boy. Don't listen to anyone who says different.

  14. #689
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    Puppy rescuer takes dogs on 4,200-mile odyssey to loving arms

    he crowd shuffles from foot to foot, heads down, counting the minutes before they have to say goodbye.

    “I love you buddy,” a man whispers, cradling a small bundle of fur. “Have a good trip.” In a large gathering, he stands alone with his thoughts.

    This is a familiar scene in Lafayette, La. Every other week, people bring abandoned pets they have rescued to a parking lot and wait for a truck that will take the dogs not just to a better life, but to life itself.

    Susan Willard points to a puff of exhaust: “The dog savior.” A rumble from the distance is punctuated by the drumbeat of thumping tails.

    A huge tractor trailer belches to a stop. Out pops a small man with a big smile. “Hi, everyone! You excited?”

    “Yeah!” the crowd choruses.

    He grins, “I’m Greg.”

    Twice a month, Greg Mahle hugs his wife and son goodbye and leaves his home in Zanesville, Ohio. He drives to Houston; Lafayette, La.; Birmingham, Ala.; Altoona, Pa., and north to New England before returning home, a 4,200-mile trip. All along the way he picks up strays once destined to die.

    In Birmingham he is greeted by a voice so Southern, it could cook grits. “Black Jack is going to New York,” a woman laughs, holding up the pet she saved. “He’s going to be a Yankee!”

    Mahle takes the pup into his arms and nuzzles him. “All right, Black Jack! You ready for a ride? It’s going to be fun.”

    This remarkable odyssey links volunteers who rescue unwanted dogs with families who offer loving homes. "Who are you waiting for?” Mahle asks a tearful couple in New England.

    “Daisy.”

    “Here she is. Right into your arms. Thank you for saving a life."

    Mahle is as constant as the need. He's made this trip every other week for nearly a decade. That's more than a million miles. Imagine driving around the world 42 times.

    Some nights, you can see those miles on his face. "It's OK,” Mahle mumbles wearily. “It's all good.”

    To succeed, he has to count on more than his fingers. An army of volunteers show up at each stop to help walk and feed 74 dogs. Susan Willard sighs and says, “He is a doggie savior. That’s why we come.”

    Mahle charges so little for his service, it barely pays the bills. Some weeks it doesn't. But he likes the world he’s created: “I'm happy in it.”

    It's a world where a chocolate-colored dog named Nigel can keep a single mom and her 5-year-old daughter close even while Christine Davies was deployed with the National Guard in Kuwait.

    Christine and her daughter, Lylia, fell in love with Nigel's face online. It gave Lylia something to talk about besides her absent mom.

    "We'd talk about how excited we were,” Davies says, “all the things we were gonna buy for him. All the places we were gonna take him."

    Nigel is part pit bull, part black Lab. Out of all the dogs in the world, why pick him?

    Lylia touches her face. “He’s got brown eyes just like mine.” Then she strokes her hair: “Same color, too.”

    Mahle saves thousands of dogs, but every year, backyard breeders produce millions more than they can sell. Most are abandoned. Some shelters in the South are so swamped with strays, nine out of 10 of those dogs are killed — to make room for more.

    That’s what keeps the puppy rescuer on his endless road. Mahle doesn't just haul dogs to loving homes; he lives with them along the way. Throughout the trip he sleeps on a small mattress in the trailer, cuddling the little ones to keep them calm.

    Before the dogs greet their new families, "I'm going to make sure they're happy,” Mahle says. “I'm going to make sure they're bouncy. I'm going to make sure they're clean.”

    That's a lesson he learned running a restaurant, in another life. "When the dog comes out of the truck,” he says, “I want it to be just like a plate coming to your table." A feast of happiness.

    Back home, Mahle's wife, Adellia, admits: “It's hard, you know. Single mom status every week!" But she was once a waitress in his restaurant and knows what it takes to deliver smiles.

    When Mahle pulls into Putnam, Conn., after five days on the road, he takes Lylia Davies by the hand. They peer into his darkened trailer. “Nigel’s wagging his tail for you."

    Lylia begins to hop. “Nigel! Nigel!" she squeals.

    Mahle disappears into the darkness and emerges with the dog in his arms, stopping to whisper in Nigel’s ear: "This is forever after, man. Let's do it!"

    The dog bounds into Lylia’s waiting arms. Licks her face.

    "He loves me,” Lylia cries. “He loves me!" Her mom, who has had more than her share of sadness recently, dabs at a tear of joy.

    "Lylia’s going to remember Nigel when she's 80,” Mahle says. “She won't remember me; she won't remember all this. But she will remember Nigel. And Nigel will have taught her something."

    To surrender a dream leaves life as it is — and not as it could be.



    Ask your vet about microchipping. ~ It could have saved Kuhio's life.

  15. #690
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    Matthew Nalywaiko Helps Hundreds of Single Working Moms With Much-Needed Repairs

    Sometimes a broken down car or leaky faucet are just added stressors in the lives of already struggling single working mothers. But Matthew Nalywaiko is doing something about that – times more than a hundred.

    His organization, Serve A Little, has helped more than 200 women, including those whose husbands are away serving in the military, by matching volunteer handymen, mechanics and construction workers to complete "honey-do" projects like minor home and car repairs.

    "The name, Serve A Little, comes from the idea that you don't have to do much to make a major impact in someone's life," Nalywaiko says. "It might only take a few hours for a mechanic to fix the car or for someone to fix the door in a house, but for that person it can mean the world."

    For Nalywaiko, 32, of Sonoma, Calif., giving back has been life changing. A severe case of dyslexia, coupled with ADD, had him wondering if he would ever have a purpose in life.

    "I could barely read, so I couldn't imagine how I was going to make a living or find someone who would want to marry me or accomplish anything," says the high-energy Nalywaiko, a videographer.

    But he did just that. He managed to get a job in construction after graduation, "building million-dollar staircases in multimillion dollar homes," and married Amanda, a social worker.

    Then in 2009 he launched Serve A Little.

    "We all have the ability to impact somebody's life," Nalywaiko says. "It's just a matter of looking outside your own world and realizing there are needs right next door."

    Helping single working moms, including those trying to get an education, is something Nalywaiko says has an immediate positive impact.

    "It's not a population that gets a lot of respect," says Amy Ethington, a Santa Rosa College student advisor who refers student single moms in need of assistance to the Serve A Little program. "And here is Matthew giving them respect for what they're trying to accomplish."

    Nalywaiko doesn't just help out his own community. He discovered a Haitian village of about 10,000 where more than a dozen kids had drowned trying to cross the treacherous river to attend a school nearby. Nalywaiko has raised money through 80 for Haiti, an effort connected to Serve A Little, to build a closer school, using local labor and materials to boost the the economy.

    "Children shouldn't have to die just to get an education," Nalywaiko says.

    Ask your vet about microchipping. ~ It could have saved Kuhio's life.

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